Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a tough, durable and impact resistant continuous polymer. The polymer in accordance with this invention has very high strength and stiffness in a direction parallel thereto while being compliant in a direction normal thereto. This permits the polymer to be very impact resistant and relates it to applications where high strength and/or impact resistance is desired in a moldable material. Since the polymer in accorance with the invention is continuous, it also relates to applications requiring high strength and/or impact resistance while being impermeable or transparent. More specifically, this invention relates to, but is not limited to, optical coatings for windows and domes (a window being defined herein as something between a system and the environment to protect the system from the environment) and particularly, but not limited to, coatings for infrared windows and domes, primarily, but not limited to, use on aircraft, and, more specifically to a polymer or plastic optical coating to protect infrared optics, particularly infrared windows and domes.